Last night, we told you about the relief that the Lake Independence Area Rep., Mark King, is offering to the squatters on Lake I Boulevard, right next to the newly built Chetumal Street Bridge. He's trying to help 11 families to relocate after the private owner of the land sent them eviction notices.
King has secure land for them in Cotton Tree. They need only apply to the department, and inform him, and he'll try to help them navigate through the process so that they can get an expedited approval.
Today, we encountered a group of squatters who aren't included in that list of the 11 families being helped immediately. They have two issues with King's plan. The first is that some want the same consideration from King, and the second, a group of others are refusing to leave the land they are squatting on. They want him to get involved as minister to acquire the private land that they are squatting on, and offer the Chinese land-owners a different piece of land - even their one in Cotton Tree.
Here's how they explained it:
Luwiena Garnett - Squatter
"I was squatting back here, but I didn't get any offer. I don't want any offer. All I want is to be on the land that I, all my life, clean and lives on and now for them to come and tell you that you have to go somewhere because a Chinese man owns it - it doesn't makes any sense. It's not fair. We are Belizean and we deserve something here, not in Cotton Tree of anywhere. I am here for 7 years, lives on my land for 7 years. The Chinese man, according to his documents lease paper, says that he only owns it for 2 years. He bought it in 2013, so, where were we when he bought it? He bought us with the land and why the government would do such things? Because from the government knows we were squatting, they could have come and tell us that we can't squat here. Because this moving is not just happening, it's taking place from out there."
Daniel Ortiz
"You are not willing to move or seek any other piece that they are offering?"
Luwiena Garnett - Squatter
"No. Because why they didn't give the Chinese man a piece somewhere else. Why don't the government offer him somewhere else. Fair exchange is no robbery, because we are Belizean. Who is he? He is a Chinese."
Daniel Ortiz
"The government would say that you are in the fault. You are squatting and you are breaking the law. They are providing you with another opportunity. Why aren't you considering taking that opportunity?"
Luwiena Garnett - Squatter
"Because I will suffer with my 6 children once I go over that side. The Chinese man could reach that distance and come back to Belize. We cannot do that. The Chinese man has vehicles and money. Just like how he bought this, they could offer him another spot."
Reporter
"If the police comes tomorrow with an eviction notice, what would you do?"
Amilcar Deras - Squatter
"If the police comes tomorrow, they need to bring a court letter, then we will appeal to the court."
Reporter
"Do you have anywhere else to go from here?"
Amilcar Deras - Squatter
"We have nowhere to go."
Today, King spoke with the media and explained to us that these squatters are making requests he cannot grant. First, he said that the private owners cannot be compelled to relinquish their property. Secondly, the Government is not giving away land; King says that each of the squatters have to apply to the Lands Department and get their leases through the procedure that each applicant must follow. He stressed that neither he nor the government, is giving away land to the squatters, which is a misconception that they have:
Hon. Mark King, Area Representative - Lake-I
"The whole situation ordeal is not a government situation, it's not even a situation for me, to be honest with you. I've said to people across the length and breadth of this country, I've echoed the sentiments of the lands department from way back, that squatting is illegal. At some point somebody is going to come for their land and then you have to move. It's not the government that will come for your land, it's the private owner who will come for your land and so to make all that investment and then somebody comes and claim their land is obvious that it will cost you a whole pile of pain. In terms of what I did yesterday, was to be compassionate to these people - to say also to everybody else. These were the people that were being evicted and so I was more compassionate with them, but for all the other, as I've said to them, this is the time (straight up) break down what you have, go to the lands department and apply legally for a piece of land and get something before the owner come for the rest of the land too. I've said it from the first day I came into Lake I. I said its zero policy for land squatters, because it brings the same kind of trouble that, like this, whereby I will have to reach out and help everybody who lives in Lake I. But to some extent, my arms will be tied too, because the lands department will ask me where they will get the land from."
"It doesn't take one day to go look for a land for you either. It's a good thing the Deputy Prime Minister have a heart and there were some land left over from the Cotton Tree that we were giving out, and decide we will give these people that are presently being evicted. They had court notice and everything again, I had to contact the attorney. There are a lot of preparation that went into trying to help these ones that are being evicted. So, it was more an act of compassion and also a signal to the others - look, move out of there before they come for you all. But to tell people to continue building of the land, fooling them that the minister can do something... that would be a lie and so I have to tell them, prepare to move. Go to the lands department, apply for you land and tell me about it, so I could help you with it. And then we do what is best."
Daniel Ortiz
"Everyone should get use to the idea that they will have to move at some point?"
Hon. Mark King, Area Representative - Lake-I
"That is precisely the truth and if you tell them a lie, they will find out anyway, because the eviction notice will come from the court."
11 families must move immediately, but in the very near future, there are about 60 other illegal home owners who will need to move. The lands in disputes are reportedly owned by 2 Chinese businessmen.
Email
Print